The war of words between Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell and the Free National Movement (FNM) is showing no sides of letting up with the minister now setting that party’s deputy leader in his cross hairs and accusing the Opposition of not knowing when to quit.
FNM Deputy Leader, Loretta Butler-Turner recently criticised the minister over his recent trip to the United States to visit Bahamas consulate offices.
She said Mr. Mitchell should have been in The Bahamas dealing with this controversy surrounding abuse allegations at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre.
The Bahamas has been in the hot seat ever since a group of Cuban detainees accused Defence Force officers of severely beating them.
U.S. legislators have spoken out repeatedly on the issue and Cuban-Americans in Miami have been protesting against The Bahamas for months.
Last month, FNM Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis claimed that he had seen a report that proved that law enforcement officials had in fact abused the Cuban detainees.
Minister Mitchell has repeatedly stressed that the probe into the allegations is not complete and blasted members of the FNM for leaking a report to the media.
He also accused the FNM of “siding with foreigners” against their own country.
Mrs. Butler-Turner also raked Mr. Mitchell over the coals for acting as if he is above reproach and not accountable to the Bahamian people.
On Tuesday, the minister fired back.
“It’s a great pity that the FNM and its leadership cannot recognise when they have lost an argument and lost a battle,” he said.
“Their statements to the press about the matter of my conduct as minister of foreign affairs are silly and show that they are thick as molasses and living in cloud cuckoo land. There is no nexus between my personal conduct and that of the events about which they complain with regard to the detainees.”
“In the matter of the visit to the United States, Mrs. Butler-[Turner’s] comments are the usual propagandistic drivel from the FNM. The real issue is this: the FNM must answer why it has linked arms with the enemies of The Bahamas against their own country in this matter of the detainees.”
